


Rogue Shadow

by ShyVioletCat



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: written pre ACOWAR
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2019-09-04
Packaged: 2020-10-06 21:09:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20513531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShyVioletCat/pseuds/ShyVioletCat
Summary: So… I had some ideas that one of Azriel’s shadows just takes somethings into its own wispy hands when it come to Azriel and Mor. One of these ideas is that this shadow is responsible for letting Mor know when Azriel is returning from his missions, so she can be there waiting for him. Annnnnd this is what happened when that idea ran away with me.WRITTEN PRE ACOWAR





	1. Chapter 1

_It’s master had finished his task. The fae lay there unconscious and bleeding. No. Dead. The fae was dead. But it’s master had done what he needed to do. Now he stood there unmoving, his own face bleeding a little. He would need her tonight. The shadow’s master would need the one who made the other shadows flee, the one who was the Light in the darkness. It knew it’s task, it had done it so many times before. Secretly it would go and find her, tell her that he was coming back so that she could be there waiting. So she, the one that it’s master so desperately protected and cared for, could stop him from retreating further into the darkness he fought within. The shadow left, the other swirling shadows hiding its departure as it went in search of her. The Morrigan._

~

Mor let the music fill her body. She moved to the beat, twirling and shifting her body as the music demanded. Rita’s was packed tonight and she had barely any room to herself as she danced in the middle of the dance floor. Some nameless male had asked her to dance and she accepted indulging in his handsome face. Cassian was here somewhere, drinking or dancing, Mor didn’t know. The song changed and the nameless male bid her goodbye with a small wave but Mor continued to dance. She lost herself in the camaraderie of the dance floor.

_He’s returning_.

Mor only paused for a moment as she heard the the softest of whispers. At first she was not sure she had heard it but then she felt as though something wound its way around her hand and ever so gently pulled. The dimly lit dance hall didn’t allow for the Mor to see if something truly had touched her hand, but she had her suspicions at to what it was. Then, while still moving to the music, she wove her way to the edge of the dance floor. She needed to find Cassian.

She found him talking to a female at the bar, both of them lent toward each other slightly, too close to be casual. Mor knew the game he was playing but she didn’t have time for it. She needed to get back to the House of Wind and didn’t have time to walk up those damned steps. Mor sauntered up to Cassian, flashing him a winning smile and a scathing look to the female. Then she ran her hand possessively down Cassian’s arm, resting her hand on his wrist.

“Cassian who’s this?” Mor said, her voice sickly sweet. Cassian looked at Mor in disbelief while the female gave him a look that was a mix between disappointment and disgust.

The female lifted her long dress slightly as she stood and walked away with tight lipped, “Leaving.”

“Mor, what the…”

“I want to go. Now. Can you take me to the House of Wind?” Mor said over the music as her grip tightened on Cassian’s wrist, pulling him to his feet.

Cassian groaned and followed. “Why the House of Wind?”

“You know my house in is the middle of being renovated,” Mor said glancing back at him. It was a half truth, her townhouse was being renovated but her bedroom was done. She just didn’t need Cassian’s interference tonight.

“Well you’ve successfully destroyed my fun for the evening, so we might as well,” Cassian said.

Once in the night air Mor put her arms around Cassian’s neck and he scooped up her legs and shot into the sky.

~

The flight to the House of Wind was short and as soon they landed Mor moved out of Cassian’s arms and made for one of the inner rooms. But before she got too far she turned back around.

“Cass I’m sorry about ruining your night.”

He waved her off, “She was too full of herself anyway.” He laughed when Mor raised her eyebrows in disbelief, “Hey, there can only be so much ego involved, even if it’s only for one night.”

Now Mor laughed, “Either way I’m sorry.”

Cassian just shrugged his shoulders and wings, “The night is still young.” Cassian gave Mor one of his insufferable smirks before he once again flew out into the nights sky.

_~_

_He’s getting closer._

The soft whisper spoke again. Mor had been pacing for a long while now, it seemed the shadow had been a little eager in its report. Because is was indeed a shadow, one of Azriel’s shadows, that whispered to her. It had for years. It had always alerted her to when Azriel would start his return journey. Always giving her enough time to meet him when he got home.

Mor wondered if Azriel knew of what his shadow did, she certainly didn’t think that he sent it to her. When Azriel began to notice that Mor always happened to be waiting for him when he returned he had been thoroughly confused. But he never asked why she was there or how she knew.

Mor heard the beat of approaching wings and stilled. She heard him land on a nearby balcony and his purposeful striding steps. At first Azriel didn’t notice her there, standing in the middle of the room. His shadows swirled around him, dark and heavy. They almost shielded his entire face from view. When Azriel spied Mor the shadows around his face fled and revealed a nasty bruise blooming on Azriel’s right cheek and a split lip. Mor sucked in a sharp breath and moved forward. Azriel instinctively took a step back, his shadows pulling in tight around him.

Something twisted tight in Mor’s stomach. She wondered at what failures Azriel had invented for himself on this mission, what things had gone wrong that had not only caused his injuries but also brought about the brooding silence that seemed to encase him.

“Az,” she said softly taking another step forward, this time he didn’t retreat. She reached him and took his scarred hands in hers and she saw Azriel cringe at the sight of the joined hands. Mor looked up to his face. His eyes were cold and unfeeling, and they looked as if they barely saw her. “What happened Az?”

Azriel shook his head a little, “I can't…”

“I know you can’t,” Mor said, “I know you can’t tell me exactly what happened, what you did. Just tell me that you’re alright? Did you do what you set out to do?”

Azriel nodded his head a little, just a little. The breath Mor hadn’t realised she was holding rushed out of her lungs. At the sound the tightness in Azriel’s shoulders seemed to loosen and his wings and shoulders dropped. Mor pulled on Azriel’s hands and led him to a nearby chaise summoning a bowl of hot water, cleansing ointment and cloths to the table beside it. They sat beside one another and Mor dipped a cloth in the hot water and gently wiped the cut on Azriel’s lip.

This had become their routine, Azriel would come home and Mor would tend to his wounds, sometimes he would recount his dealing but most times not. Azriel had relented after the scoldings Mor would give him when he would leave his wounds unattended and they often became inflamed or infected. Nothing ever too serious, but enough that it caused Azriel pain and discomfort, which Mor wasn’t going to allow. She assumed he left them as punishment for whatever he had failed to accomplish, a reminder that he needed to improve. Sometimes Mor thought he simply could not be bothered to look after himself.

They sat is silence the whole while and once Mor finished applying the ointment Azriel let out a heavy sigh.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Mor asked. She knew he would say no, but she always asked anyway. Just in case, in case one day he’d said yes.

“No.”

“Well. To bed then.” Mor summoned her most charming smile, one that she knew would make Azriel’s shadows lightened a little. And they did. Azriel then stood leaving Mor alone on the chaise.

“Thank you,” he said softly, barely above a whisper. “Thank you Morrigan.” Mor stayed where she was but turned to face him, still smiling,

“Anytime, Azriel. Anytime.” Azriel gave her a small smile in return and walked away toward his bedroom. As he did, Mor heard a soft lingering voice in her ear.

_Thank you…_


	2. Say Yes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is another story about one of Azriel’s shadows that goes a little rogue when it comes to him and Morrigan. Written Pre ACOWAR

For four hundred years Mor had been asking. Four hundred years. Four centuries. Still every time she asked he said no. When Mor asked Azriel to come to Rita’s with her he would say no. But she would not stop, no matter how many times he denied her. Tonight Mor would try again, she would try her hardest into persuading him to come, get him to say yes. He had been brooding all day and she couldn’t bare to watch him spiral further into himself.

Mor pulled up a few locks of hair away from her face and secured them with pearl tipped pins. She was dressed, her make up done, all that was left was her hair. She had brushed out the curls she had set earlier so now her hair fell down her back in soft waves. With the front sections of her hair pulled back the shimmer on her eyelids easily stood out as did the bright shade of red on her lips. Her lips matched the red of her dress that hung delicately on her body. Checking the security of her hair once more in the mirror, Mor gave her appearance a final check before she left her room.

Walking to a sitting room where Cassian, Azriel and Amren sat, Mor smiled at her friends.

“Rita’s anyone?”

_~~~_

_It’s master had been brooding, caught up in his own mind. Judging himself, so critical and demanding. It only sent him into a vicious cycle of self loathing. It knew she was coming, it could sense her approaching. The Morrigan. The shadow also knew where she was planning to go, dressing herself up and putting cosmetics on. It knew it’s master would say no when she asked, like he had for hundreds of years. The shadow gathered in close to his master so that when she appeared and the other shadows fled it would remain, so it could whisper to him. Help him see that he didn’t have to spend all his time in the shadows._

~~~

A whisper broke Azriel from his dark and hateful musings.

_She’s coming…_

A moment later _she_ appeared and Azriel felt his shadows lighten like they always did when Mor was around. Mor was smiling as she entered the room and then in her ever bright, cheerful voice she asked, “Rita’s anyone?”

Azriel felt his shadows gather in again about him, falling about him like a cloak almost shielding him from answering. He didn’t want to go to Rita’s, rather, he felt as though he didn’t belong at Rita’s. With the life, joy and bright energy of those that congregated there Azriel would feel out of place with his icy demeanour and darkness. It was where Mor belonged, she thrived there, when she arrived the atmosphere heightened as the other regulars rejoiced in her attendance. Even those who did not know her… Mor was simply irresistible.

Mor looked first to Amren, then Cassian then finally her eyes rested on him. A small hopeful smile graced her lips and he felt his shadows flee. Well, almost all his shadows.

_She looks beautiful tonight…_

Azriel kept face neutral and gave nothing away as he heard the whisper. Mor always looked beautiful. It was nothing new, although every time he still found his breath stolen away. Cassian answered, pulling away Mor’s gaze.

“Sure, why not,” Cassian said and turned his smirking face to Amren. “How about you, Tiny One?”

Amren’s face was full of disdain, bordering on disgust, “Watching people in an over crowded room try seduce each other holds no appeal to me at present. Although it is very tempting just to see you fail so gloriously.”

“You underestimate me Amren,” Cassian said smirking a little wider, “you just don’t know because I’ve never turned my talents to you.”

“Oh please,” Amren sighed as she dismissed Cassian with a look and went back to the book in her lap.

“Rhys is meeting us there,” Mor chimed in, no doubt trying to sway Amren a little.

_You haven’t seen her dance is a long while…_

Again his shadow spoke to him and this time he shook his head a little to try and shake out the whisper.

“I am very content here,” Amren replied without looking up from her book.

Cassian drew Mor’s attention once again as he stood and stretched, “I’m going to change my shirt then I’ll be ready.”

Mor nodded encouragingly as he left, leaving his three companions in the room. With Amren clearly not open to further persuasion, Mor turned back to Azriel. Her confident and assured smile fell away and was replaced by one that was much meeker and almost shy. Azriel stilled as she approached and sat on a nearby chair. As she crossed her legs Azriel forced his eyes not to linger on the generous amount of leg that was revealed by the slit in her dress. Meeting her eyes again, Azriel noted she was still wearing her shy smile. Azriel hadn’t moved from his stoic position with his arms crossed in front of him.

“You don’t have to dance you know,” Mor said quietly from beneath her lashes.

_Don’t dance, you don’t have to. Say yes._

Never before had this shadow been so persistent.

“Rhys hardly ever dances, you can sit with him at the booth.” Mor looked directly at him now. “It sounds a bit boring, but it’s really not.”

_Say yes. She wants you to_.

“It will be fun,” Mor said, her confident smiling almost returning.

_It will be fun. Say yes._

Azriel was almost certain that it was, in fact, Mor’s own voice whispering to him. Not one of his shadows. And a traitorous shadow at that.

“Please Az.”

_Please… say yes._

“Come?” Smiling and radiant she lent toward him and Azriel saw her hand twitch as though she had thought about reaching for him.

_Go to Rita’s. She wants you to. It will be fun. Say yes_.

Azriel took in a deep breath and Mor held her own. Along moment passed and then he answered,“Yes.”

_You said yes._

The shadow almost sounded cheerful in response to Azriel’s answer, it distracted Azriel enough that it made him start when Mor jumped to her feet and let out an excited squeal. From where sat Amren raised one eyebrow in surprise.

“Well come on then!” Mor now unhesitatingly grabbed Azriel’s arm and pulled him to his feet and continued to drag him until they both reached the balcony.

~~~

Rhys entered Rita’s with a brief wave to the doorman. Tonight the dance hall wasn’t overly crowded, which he was thankful for. It made it much easier to spot his cousin and his brother on the dance floor. Rhys spied Cassian as he spied him, and he pointed towards their usual booth. Nodding to Cassian, Rhys started forward but came to a halt when he saw his shadowsinger of a brother sitting there. Azriel never came to Rita’s. Rhys had lost count of how long he and Mor had been asking him to come, Rhys himself has given up a long while ago. It seemed that Mor hadn’t.

As he made his way to the booth Rhys looked to his cousin. She was free and radiant as ever, tipping her head back and laughing on the dance floor. Then he followed her gaze as it turned towards Azriel. She smiled at him, and Azriel, well he could not help but smile back. Endearing, divine, relentless Morrigan. Rhys couldn’t believe it. Azriel had finally said yes.


End file.
